Russian forces launched a series of strikes on civilian areas in the Ukrainian cities of Dnipro, Chernihiv, Kremenchuk and Zaporizhzhia on Thursday, October 29, killing and injuring dozens of people, including children, according to Ukrainian officials.
At least 14 people were killed and another 14 injured in Dnipro, where six of the wounded remain in critical condition.
The director-general of a local hospital said the critically injured patients had suffered multiple shrapnel wounds. Four were undergoing surgery, while doctors were working to stabilise two others before operating.
Among those seriously injured were an 11-year-old boy, two men aged 40 and 53, and a 26-year-old woman.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the latest Russian attacks, saying they demonstrated the need to maintain and strengthen international sanctions against Moscow.
Zelenskyy said Russia had continued to launch attacks against Ukrainian civilians despite the easing of sanctions on certain Russian oligarchs and the country’s energy sector.
“How many such terrorist strikes has Russia carried out against our people since sanctions were lifted on some Russian oligarchs and the energy sector, instead of moving towards de-escalation?” Zelenskyy said.
“That is why Ukraine has always maintained that Russian escalation requires a fair and decisive response from the United States and Europe: sanctions against Moscow and its war. The time has come for new, stronger sanctions from the European Union, the United States and the G7.”
In the northern city of Chernihiv, an explosion in the city centre killed two girls under the age of 15 and injured at least 23 people, according to local authorities.
The blast set vehicles and shops on fire and damaged apartments in nearby residential buildings.
Officials reported that children were among the wounded, including a 10-month-old infant and three others aged 10, 16 and 17.
Russian forces also struck a residential neighbourhood in Kremenchuk, in Ukraine’s central Poltava region.
At least 19 people were injured, including five children, while three people were reported killed, according to preliminary information.
In the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, a Russian drone struck a passenger minibus in the city centre, injuring at least one person.
The latest attacks come as Ukraine continues to call for stronger international measures to curb Russia’s military operations and increase pressure on Moscow over its ongoing invasion.
The casualty figures remain preliminary and may change as emergency services continue their response.
